Swampscott board appoints assistant town counsel

SWAMPSCOTT – Selectmen voted 4-1 to appoint Attorney Richard Bowen as assistant town counsel for issues concerning Bertram House and its associated tax appeals at a rate of $170 per hour.Assistant Town Assessor Donna Champagne O’Keefe, who had recommended Bowen’s appointment, said Wednesday that her office was pleased with the vote at the previous evening’s Board of Selectmen meeting. At the March 15 meeting of the board, she had cited Bowen’s successful representation over the past few years of the Bertram House of Swampscott, an assisted-living facility on Humphrey Street that has appealed its tax valuations since 2000. She said on Wednesday that tax appeals concerning the property were ongoing.Bowen was a longtime attorney at Kopelman and Paige, a prestigious law firm representing over 120 municipalities in Massachusetts, including Swampscott. They also bill at $170 per hour, said Town Administrator Andrew Maylor. Bowen recently left the firm, however.Selectman Matthew Strauss offered the only dissenting vote, but said it was due only to loyalty to Kopelman and Paige rather than concerns about Bowen.